


Hugh, Nora, Woody, Hotch, and Prentiss

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-12
Updated: 2014-10-12
Packaged: 2018-02-20 18:30:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2438591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You didn’t bite anyone’s head off, intimidate them, or act otherwise like evil doppelganger Aaron did you?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hugh, Nora, Woody, Hotch, and Prentiss

“You do realize that you're never allowed to leave me again.”

“I wasn’t gone that long.”

“I don’t know how long it felt to you but it was an eternity on this end.”

“You know I had to go away.”

“That may be but it was agony for me.”

“I guess I should be happy I was so missed.”

“Missed is not strong enough of a word for what I was feeling.”

“Really? Do tell.”

“I just…I feel empty when you're not with me. You’ve been by my side for so long, even when I hadn't yet realized how amazing you were. When you're not here it’s obvious; and not just to me.”

“You didn’t bite anyone’s head off, intimidate them, or act otherwise like evil doppelganger Aaron did you?”

“There may have been a few moments when I let my temper get the best of me.”

“Great.” She smiled. “No one’s going to let me go away ever again. Was that your plan?”

“I wish I could say it was. In the end, I just don’t think I'm that smart.” He smiled as well.

“You are brilliant, and you know it. Its much of the reason I fell madly in love with you.”

“You like the geeky ones?” he asked.

“I like the sexy, geeky ones.”

“Morgan is sexier than me…and I'm saying that in the manliest way possible.”

“Well I forgot to add brooding. I like the brooding, sexy, geeky ones.”

“There's a possibility I hold the market on that.”

“You and Montgomery Clift.”

“See, when you’re not here I didn’t engage in these amazing conversations. I went through withdrawal, and people noticed.”

“It was the same with me. I can't tell you how many times my sister slapped my cell phone out of my hand when I was going to call. One day she even hid it from me.”

“I used to like her.” he pouted and was rewarded with a kiss. “I missed you terribly.”

“I missed you too, Aaron. But absence makes the heart grow fonder doesn’t it? Maybe if I go away more often…”

“No!” he laughed, pulling her closer to him. “I've got to find a way to keep you by my side.”

“Handcuffs are a viable option.”

“We’d look funny going out in public. I’ll add them to the list though. I was thinking something a bit more conventional.”

“So taping a cookie or cupcake to your head is out?”

“I'm afraid so.” he replied.

“I got it.” she snapped her fingers. “It’s so simple I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. Ask me.”

“Ask you what?”

“Oh no, I'm not gonna do all the hard work. I’ll let you figure out something.”

“And I will too.” He grinned, dimples poking holes in his cheek. “I might just surprise you one of these days Emily Prentiss.”

“You’ve been doing that for some time now.”

“OK, then I might just not surprise you one of these days.”

She laughed, giving him a passionate kiss. She hoped he knew how much she didn’t want to leave his side, even when she had to. Whether it was for something serious or trivial it was always difficult. Emily had been in love with him for so long; longer than he would ever truly know. Now he belonged to her and she wasn’t going anywhere. Wild horses couldn’t drag her away.

“Tell me what you're thinking.” He said.

She was in his arms, body resting against his and Hotch felt at peace for the first time since she left nine days ago. He didn’t want to be codependent, he wasn’t the type, but when she wasn’t there it was tough. He didn’t have his sounding board, his loving arms, his secret smile; it was all gone. And while he surely wasn’t expecting her to stick around just to keep him from being what he used to be, the truth of the matter was that she did.

Being without her for over a week showed that. He liked the man he was starting to become again. It was his old self with a little something more. Something more was the perfect way to describe what she brought to the table. She brought it to the team and to his life.

“I'm thinking about The Sundays.” Emily replied.

“What about Sunday?”

“Not Sunday…The Sundays. They sing an amazing version of The Stones’ _Wild Horses_ and it’s in my head right now. What are you thinking about?”

“I'm thinking about marrying you.”

“What did you just say?” Emily gasped, sitting up.

“I said I was thinking about marrying you. Well actually it’s more like thinking about you marrying me. It might not seem like it but those are two different things.”

“You…” she lost her voice and tried to get it back. “I…Aaron…”

“Wow, I did surprise you.” He grinned as he sat up.

“Oh my God!” She started hitting his chest and arms, though it surely wasn’t in anger. “Oh my God!”

“I love you, Em, and I want you to be by my side for the rest of my life. Or until you grow tired of me.”

“If the slings and arrows haven’t seen me running for the hills already I think we’ll be alright. I'm a tough girl, Aaron.”

“You call them slings and arrows…I call them scythes and axes.”

“Semantics.” Emily smiled.

“Well how about this for semantics, Emily Prentiss will you marry me?”

“I should make a phone call.” She took her Blackberry from the nightstand.

“What?”

“Well…”

“Your mother, your stepmother, your sister, perhaps Penelope and JJ?” Hotch asked.

“It’s possible I might call all of the above on some kind of insane conference call straight out of a movie starring Hugh Grant. Mother would hate that.”

“You don’t have to worry about calling your dad. He’s been informed and he approves.”

“You asked my father if you could marry me?” Emily asked.

“Of course I did. That’s how we do it where I come from.”

“Where are you from?”

“Richmond.”

Emily laughed, throwing her arms around him. Hotch exhaled and held her close. He just wanted to hear it; he wanted to hear her say yes to his proposal. The idea of getting married again frightened him but Hotch knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Emily. With all they’d been through in their lives, as Hotch and Prentiss and a couple, it was time for some happiness.

“Yes.” She breathed, still in his arms. “I’ll marry you.”

“Seriously?” he looked at her.

“You thought I would say no?”

“I had a little fear in the pit of my stomach. Doesn’t everyone when they do this?”

“I don't know…I've never done it before.” Emily shook her head.

“I was planning something a little more elaborate but when something feels right you have to go with your gut.”

“Your gut is pretty smart.” She gave him a friendly poke there. “Now even when I go away we both know in our hearts that I’ll be back.”

“I'm still not letting you go.” Hotch replied. “That wasn’t part of the plan.”

“Ahh, I think I'm finally starting to understand this whole thing.”

“Really?”

“Nope, but it sounded good didn’t it.”

“I love you, Emily Prentiss.” Hotch said laughing. He was able to let her go long enough to reach into his nightstand drawer for a ring box. As soon as Hotch saw it, he knew it had to be hers. He wasn’t even shopping that day, just walking down the street when he saw some pretty antique jewelry in a store window and his feet led him into the store.

“I love you too, and this is everything I wanted. I want you, I want us, and I want this crazy ass life.”

“Are you sure?”

Emily nodded, holding back the flood of emotions threatening to push past the walls she’d taken years to erect. They did just that when Hotch showed her the ring. It was white gold with three princess cut diamonds. They weren't rocks; they were perfect in their subtlety and beauty. Something in the pit of her stomach knew that he knew this ring was perfect for her and that’s what made it so.

When he slipped it on her trembling finger and kissed her hand, Emily was a goner. But it was OK to cry because he was there to hold her and was never letting go. She had a good life, even when it was so hard Emily didn’t know how she would make it to the next stop. It was about to get even better.

“Mrs. Aaron Hotchner.” She whispered, relaxing in his arms. “I kinda like the sound of that. That can be our thing; just for us.”

“For a while it might have to be. But there’s no secret about how much you mean to me. We’ll make the rest work as we go along.”

Life wasn’t a Hugh Grant movie for Hotch but it could still be a romantic comedy. No, Emily didn’t really like romantic comedies. It could be a witty romance, like a Woody Allen or Nora Ephron film. A guy was definitely a goner when he was willing to become a Nora Ephron film. But for the chance to make a real life with Emily, Hotch didn’t mind being a goner. They were going together.

***

  



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